Good afternoon, everyone — what a day. First: at the U.N., Donald Trump unleashed a scorched-earth speech, practically telling the assembled nations they were “going to hell.” Then he threw a tantrum over a malfunctioning escalator — so much so that the White House is demanding an investigation into why it didn’t work for him. On foreign policy, he’s performed a total reversal on Ukraine, essentially admitting this war isn’t ending anytime soon. And the most heartbreaking item: ICE reportedly detained a 5-year-old girl with autism outside her home to bait her father out for arrest.
These are not trivial headlines — they are urgent, human stories that demand to be told, and I’m committed to telling them clearly and relentlessly. On a personal note that I’m thrilled to share: tomorrow evening I’ll be moderating the first stop of Vice President Kamala Harris’s book tour. To those coming in New York, I cannot wait to see you! I still can’t believe it — pinching myself — but I promise you won’t miss a beat: news updates will continue even while I’m on the road.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
In a significant reversal of his earlier stance, President Trump declared after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine, backed by the European Union and NATO support, could fully restore its prewar borders by reclaiming all territory taken by Russia; he pointed to Russia’s deepening economic troubles, NATO’s continued military aid, and Ukraine’s resilience as key factors enabling such a victory, a notable shift from his prior position that land concessions might be necessary to end the war.
President Trump conceded that his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin has not helped resolve the Ukraine war, admitting he once believed his ties could end the conflict but now acknowledges “those ties mean nothing.”
In a fiery 57-minute UN General Assembly speech, President Trump mocked the UN as ineffective, blasted European allies over immigration and green energy, called climate change “the greatest con job ever,” and declared “your countries are going to hell,” while touting U.S. prosperity under his leadership; his remarks drew little applause from diplomats, veered into denial of established facts, and emphasized his MAGA agenda over multilateral cooperation, though he did pledge a new international initiative against biological weapons.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt demanded a UN investigation after an escalator at UN headquarters abruptly stopped as President Trump and First Lady Melania stepped on it, though UN officials said the halt was caused accidentally by a safety mechanism.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dissolved the Pentagon’s long-running Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, founded in 1951, accusing it of pushing a “divisive feminist agenda” that undermines combat readiness; critics note the committee’s recommendations have historically shaped key laws and policies for women in the military, while supporters of Hegseth point to its advocacy on issues like reproductive healthcare as evidence of politicization.
A Massachusetts family alleges that ICE agents briefly held their 5-year-old autistic daughter outside their Leominster home to pressure her father, Edward Hip Mejia, into surrendering during an immigration operation; video shows the child surrounded by officers, but DHS strongly denied the claim, calling it a “disgusting smear” and accusing Mejia — a longtime U.S. resident from Guatemala with prior arrests — of abandoning his daughter while fleeing; the girl was later returned safely, and Mejia was detained two days later and is now in ICE custody.
Nexstar Media Group announced it will keep “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off its ABC affiliate stations, joining Sinclair in refusing to air the show even as Disney restores it nationally; both station groups, together representing about 70 affiliates, cited Kimmel’s remarks about Republicans following Charlie Kirk’s killing and stressed the need for “respectful, constructive dialogue,” leaving tens of millions of U.S. viewers without broadcast access while the program remains available on Disney’s streaming platforms.
Disney announced new streaming price hikes starting Oct. 21, raising Disney+ with ads to $11.99 (up $2) and Disney+ Premium to $18.99 (up $3), with bundle prices also increasing across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN plans; the timing follows backlash and cancellation threats over the company’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, though Disney has since reinstated him, and comes as Disney pushes its new ESPN app to drive subscribers toward bundled offerings.
Errol Musk, the 79-year-old father of Elon Musk, has been accused in a New York Times investigation of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren since the early 1990s, allegations he strongly denies as “false” and “nonsense”; the report, citing family members, personal correspondence, and past police inquiries, details claims of misconduct dating back to 1993, notes that multiple investigations were opened without charges, and underscores Elon Musk’s long-described estrangement from his father, whom he once characterized as capable of “a carefully thought-out plan of evil.”
With a Sept. 30 deadline looming to avoid a government shutdown, President Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, saying their funding demands were “unserious” and that he would only negotiate if they changed course; Democrats accused him of ducking responsibility, warning Trump would “own the shutdown,” while GOP leaders Mike Johnson and John Thune reportedly urged him to call off the talks after Democrats insisted on preserving Obamacare funding.
Tuesday’s special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, where Democrat Adelita Grijalva is heavily favored over Republican Daniel Butierez, is expected to give the House the decisive 218th signature needed on a bipartisan petition to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein case files; both candidates pledged to sign, making the contest a turning point in an effort GOP leaders have tried to block, with a potential House vote as early as mid-October, though the measure would still face long odds in the Senate.
A Florida jury found Ryan Wesley Routh guilty on all counts for attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024, as well as assaulting a Secret Service agent and committing multiple firearms violations; the dramatic trial ended with Routh trying to stab himself in the neck with a pen after the verdict, while prosecutors highlighted his written note admitting intent, and Trump hailed the conviction as a “big moment for justice in America.”
Donald Trump has chosen downtown Miami as the site of his future presidential library, on land owned by Miami-Dade College near the historic Freedom Tower, a landmark tied to Cuban refugee history; the project, expected to include an adjacent hotel, marks the first presidential library paired with such a development, and will move forward pending a unanimous Florida Cabinet vote, after state lawmakers cleared legal hurdles to ensure local officials could not block construction.
Good news:
Citizen scientists in Rhode Island’s Jacob’s Point salt marsh are using makeshift “coffee filter arks” to keep endangered saltmarsh sparrow nests afloat during floods, with early results showing a dramatic reduction in chick drownings and renewed hope for the species’ survival.
Scientists in Ecuador discovered 112-million-year-old amber containing exquisitely preserved insects, spiders, and even a fragment of web—rare Southern Hemisphere “time capsules” that offer new insights into early pollinator-plant relationships during the age of Gondwana.
Twycross Zoo in the UK celebrated the birth of the nation’s only bonobo baby, a “globally significant” event that boosts conservation efforts for one of humanity’s closest and most endangered relatives.
Thanks to decades of tireless work by Professor Yang Jingyuan in China’s Shennongjia mountains, the once-dwindling golden snub-nosed monkey population has rebounded from about 500 to nearly 2,000, showing how conservation, community support, and deep understanding can save a species once on the brink.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
